Cleaning apparatus



Jan. i26, 1943. F. J. LITTL 2,309,251

CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 23. 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l I n ventor Jan26,- 1943.A F. J. LITTLE 2,309,251

"CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 2:5, 1940 2 'sheets-sheet 2 InventorAttorney Patented Jan. 26, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLEANINGAPPARATUS Frederick J. Little, Malone, N. Y.

Application November 23, 1940, Serial No. 366,907

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a device for cleaning air filters,wheel-bearings, tools and other small parts of machinery, such as forautomobiles, and has for its primary object to provide a containerwithin which the part to be cleaned is placed and providing means forblowing a mixture of air and cleaning fluid against the parts to becleaned to remove grease, dirt and other foreign substances therefrom,the invention further embodying a suction fan adjacent the top of thecontainer for drawing off the fumes and vapor of the cleaning fluid fordischarging the same to the outside of the building.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character ofsimple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable inperformance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain inoperation and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the sameis intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in Which- Figure 1 is aside elevational view,

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line4--4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose ofillustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention,the numeral 5 designates an open container within which a screen 6 issupported on a rack 'l immediately above the level of a cleaning liquid8, which preferably is in the form of kerosene.

Extending through a wall of the container 5 is an air nipple 9 to theinner end of which is attached a nozzle l and connected to the nozzle isa downwardly extending pipe Il which terminates in the cleaning liquid8. To the outer end of the nipple 9 is attached an air hose l2 leadingto a suitable source of air pressure.

Accordingly, the air filter, wheel-bearing or other object to be cleanedmay be placed in the container immediately above the screen 6 and byadmitting air under pressure through the nipple 9 the cleaning liquidwill be drawn upwardly into the pipe Il and discharged with the airthrough the nozzle l0 against the part to be cleaned.

The top of the container 5 is partly closed by a shelf I3 preferablypositioned at the side of the container opposite from the nipple 9 andsupported on the shelf is a bracket I4 to which an electric motor l5 isconnected with the shaft I6 of the motor projecting downwardly into thecontainer and into a fan housing I'l wherein a suction fan I8 is mountedon the lower end of the shaft of the motor. The bottom of the housing Ilis provided with a screen I9 whereby vapor and air from the interior ofthe container may be drawn upwardly into the housing for dischargethrough a conduit 20 attached to the housing l1 for conveying the vaporto the exterior of the building.

Extending downwardly from the inner edge of the shelf I5 is a shield 2lto the under side of which is secured a bracket 22 for supporting anelectric lamp 23 thereon by means of which the interior of the container5 may be illuminated.

It is ybelieved the details of construction, operation and advantages ofthe device will be readily understood from the foregoing without furtherdetailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A cleaning apparatus comprising a container adapted to contain aquantity of cleaning fluid, an air nozzle supported in a horizontalposition at one side of the container above the level of the liquidtherein, a pipe connected to the nozzle leading to the fluid, an airhose attached to said nozzle for feeding air under pressure to thenozzle and adapted to draw the liquid upwardly into the pipe Iby theaction of suction from air passing through the nozzle, a reticulatedsupport in the container above the level of the liquid therein andadapted for supporting articles to be cleaned in the path of the fluiddischarged from the nozzle, and a splash shield partly closing thecontainer and projecting inwardly from a wall thereof at a side of thecontainer opposite from the nozzle and overlying the articles beingcleaned to trap spray and vapor in the container.

FREDERICK J LITTLE.

